More than two-thirds of UK house builders say that delivering more than 180,000 new homes a year is not achievable under current market conditions, according to Knight Frank’s latest Housebuilding Report.
The report revealed that 67% of respondents said the maximum sustainable annual delivery of new homes was 180,000 or less.
Just 9% said it was possible to build more than 200,000 residential units a year.
More than half of all developers and house builders said that a rise in the delivery of affordable homes over the next year was unlikely.
However, around 60% expected a continued rise in the number of total housing starts and completions over the next 12 months.
The survey also asked house builders what measures policymakers should take to increase housing delivery in the UK.
Bolstering the resources of planning departments was overwhelmingly the most important step, with 82% of respondents choosing this option.
Improving skills and training and opening up public land were cited by 58% and 57% of respondents respectively.
Gráinne Gilmore, head of Knight Frank UK Residential Research, said: “Policymakers, especially those in power after the election, may want to heed the calls from house builders to beef up planning departments in local authorities, plough more investment into skills and training in the construction sector and provide better access to public sector land, moves which the housebuilding industry is signalling could move the country closer to building enough homes for all.”
